The Olympic Games featured swimming during summer competitions beginning in 1896. Originally, athletes swam breaststroke or freestyle, and events took place in open water rather than in pools. The first backstroke Olympic races took place in 1904, and London held the first indoor-pool competitions in 1908. Swimmers gained fame from the number of medals won and the length of their swimming careers.
Early Champions
Duke Kahanamoku of Honolulu, Hawaii was a legendary surfer, but he also won the 100 m gold in the 1912 Stockholm Games, and repeated his victory eight years later in Antwerp. Adolph Kiefer won gold for the 100 m backstroke in the 1936 Berlin games, and ended his Olympic career in Berlin because World War II resulted in the cancellation of the next two Olympiads. Instead, Kiefer trained sailors to swim during the war, and later introduced many improvements in swimming such as polyester swimsuits and turbulence-reducing lane dividers. Seventeen-year-old Hendrika "Rie" Mastenbroek from the Netherlands won three gold medals and one silver medal in the 1936 games, gaining fame for her country.
Men's Competition
Mark Spitz captured the world's attention when he won a record seven gold medals in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. Spitz won gold for the 100 m free, 200 m free, 100 m butterfly and 200 m butterfly, as well a relay events. His record stood until Michael Phelps won eight gold medals in the 2008 Beijing games. Phelps won gold in freestyle, butterfly, and individual medley and relay events.
Women's Competition
Amy Dykman battled against lifelong asthma to become a champion in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. She won four gold medals during the 1996 games, then won two more gold medals in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Dara Torres won her first Olympic medal at the 1984 Los Angeles games. Dara continued her Olympic career in Seoul, Barcelona, Sydney and Beijing, winning a silver medal in the 50 m sprint at the age of 41. As of 2011, Dara has 12 medals, four of which are gold.
Movie Careers
Johnny Weismuller won three gold medals for swimming and one bronze for water polo in the 1924 games, and two more swimming gold medals in the 1928 games. He later translated his athletic successes to the screen, gaining fame as Tarzan. Esther Williams won national swim competitions, but never actually made it to the Olympics because World War II made Olympic competition impossible in 1940 and 1944. She became a famous swimming star nonetheless, gaining as much fame as Olympic champions of that era.
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